Cleveland (CNN) – In Ohio Monday Mitt Romney fielded a question from a woman who, during the course of her remarks, accused President Barack Obama of treason.

During a town hall in Cleveland, the questioner asked the presumptive Republican presidential nominee how he would restore balance between the three branches of the federal government and also said Obama "should be tried for treason."- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
- Follow Shawna Shepherd on Twitter: @ShepherdCNN

Romney responded to her question saying he would "respect the different branches of government if I'm fortunate enough to become president" but did not acknowledge the "treason" portion of her question.

However, after the event, Romney told CNN he did not agree with the woman's comments.

When asked why he did not correct her, Romney said "I answered the question … I don't correct all of the questions that get asked of me."

"Obviously I don't agree that he should be tried," he added.

President Barack Obama's re-election campaign said the interaction was evidence of "Romney's version of leadership: standing by silently."

"Time after time in this campaign, Mitt Romney has had the opportunity to show that he has the fortitude to stand up to hateful and over-the-line rhetoric and time after time, he has failed to do so," campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said in a statement. "If this is the 'leadership' he has shown on the campaign trail, what can the American people expect of him as commander-in-chief?"

soundoff(102 Responses)

"President Barack Obama's re-election campaign said the interaction was evidence of "Romney's version of leadership: standing by silently."

Oh boy... apparently the 'treason' part was not a question, but a statement. President Obama should defend himself, it's not Mr. Romney's job to do it.

Standing by silently? Hello! does anyone remember Reverend Wright 4 years ago? What was Mr. Obama's version of leadership at that time?

May 7, 2012 05:49 pm at 5:49 pm |

AngryBob

Romney has an insatiable need to be "liked". He will never correct or address anyone for saying stupid crap for fear of alienating them.

May 7, 2012 05:54 pm at 5:54 pm |

usa/canada

come now Mr Romney did the right thing by not saying a word you ust take care of your base

May 7, 2012 05:55 pm at 5:55 pm |

Church

Treason! What about the Cheney/Bush illegal invasion of Iraq?

May 7, 2012 05:57 pm at 5:57 pm |

American

kyle,
Sorry, but you're wrong. Romney did not ignore it, and he did not address it directly. A lose-lose. Sadly, it shows Romney's lack of courage & poor handling again...not leadership.

May 7, 2012 05:57 pm at 5:57 pm |

Max

Thanks God that Obama is president. If Romney were the president at this time the participation rate would be much worse...since Romney likes to FIRE people and don't care about the poor (IN HIS OWN WORDS).

President Obama treason?? Please, the republican Congress should be tried for treason, along with shrub, Cheney and Rummy. Robmey didn't correct or acknowledge the comment because he hates President Obama along with the rest of the thugs.

OBAMA 2012!

May 7, 2012 05:58 pm at 5:58 pm |

JustAO

Keep condoning and being passive with the crazies at your townhall Republicans at your own peril. It didn't work so well for McCain and Palin when the crazies used the same nonsense language to describe Obama back then. What makes you think it'll work this time around?

May 7, 2012 05:59 pm at 5:59 pm |

robertholt

Sure, Mitt Romney could have corrected the lady and that would have been fine. Maybe it would have ended there. Or, maybe it would have encouraged the lady to say more things that needed correcting and then it would have ended there or maybe they would have to call security. Sometimes, ignoring a person is the best way to handle a situation. By ignoring the lady’s “treason” remark, Mitt Romney nipped the situation in the bud and may have let her make a fool out of herself. Sometimes a comment shouldn’t be honored with a response. There’s a time to act and there’s a time not to act. Should he have corrected the lady? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps Mitt Romney was exercising good judgment and self control which are two important qualities in a leader.

May 7, 2012 06:00 pm at 6:00 pm |

vet in tx

Obama will be tried for treason once we find WMD's in Iraq, When Valerie Plame gets reinstated and apologized to, and when Cheney and W can actually leave this hemisphere and not have to worry about being arrested by the Hague court....Keep it up GOP, remember it is President Obama who ordered that W and Cheney not be investigated for war crimes. and It was W and Cheney who investigated Obama's birth certificate!

May 7, 2012 06:02 pm at 6:02 pm |

Woman In California

Big Al wrote:

Romney is answering questions about the economy, jobs, etc. CNN, on the other hand wants him to respond to some "plant's" question about a non-issue item.

You have got to be kidding. When has Willard EVER answered ANY questions regarding these things. In case you haven't heard he says his plans are a secret.

Congratulations on making the most ridiculous statement of the day.

May 7, 2012 06:05 pm at 6:05 pm |

Al-NY,NY

what a gutless wonder he (and the others) are. he conveniently waits til the fanatics are no longer around and then he milqtoasts his way into thinking it was inappropriate

May 7, 2012 06:08 pm at 6:08 pm |

Bob

"Romney handled it well."

Etch-A-Sketch is a gutless COWARD for letting that BS fly.

End of story.

May 7, 2012 06:16 pm at 6:16 pm |

RINO Bil

Yeah Romney grew a pair AFTER he answered the question and moved on.

Mitt is NOT leadership material.

May 7, 2012 06:18 pm at 6:18 pm |

dagoberto

We can't involve talking about treason of his intelectual tween Obama

May 7, 2012 06:19 pm at 6:19 pm |

corpsman

Big Al: Convenient that you leave out that the CLFPR fell more under Bush (-2.4%) than it has under Obama (-2.2%). Readers can verify this for themselves: Search "Civilian Labor Force Participation Rate".

And Kyle, you're correct in some instances, but standing by quietly while a United States President, democratically elected by a majority of voters, is maligned like that shows a huge lack of respect for both the facts and the Office of the President.

@Democrat Class Warfare – "Looks like European style socialists policies produce the same results no matter what side of the pond they are tried."
--------------------------
LOL – except of course that your statement is false, as MOST European countries are currently in the hands of Conservative or multi-party groups. Even France just booted out their center-right UMP President in favor of the Socialist Party candidate! That is completely the OPPOSITE of your GOBP amnesiac revisionist history. This stuff gets so old..

May 7, 2012 06:25 pm at 6:25 pm |

Penobscot

Good gracious team Obama. Why don't you all work on something substantive, for once. You've only got a few months left.

That's why it's one and done for Obama. He's got nothing. He's done nothing. This election is about the economy and Obama has failed. He can stir dirt and set smoke screens. But America knows it is out of work and this President is going to be out of office.

any one who sent jobs to china[ a communist country] should be charged with treason–how many people have died, fighting communism, to have people like mitt romney hand them a win.nowander he did,t want to go to vietnam

May 7, 2012 06:37 pm at 6:37 pm |

Debbie

I was a Republican fro 35yrs, I am now an Independent. This is one problem I have with the recent GOP candidates. From Palin, McCain, You Lie, and now Romney: They claim to be Christians but they are not, IF they had a core they would on the spot rebuke these people. They are commanded by faith to rebuke evil and yet they say nothing. Romney IMO is not manifesting Christian principals and therefore not manifesting leadership qualities for President.

May 7, 2012 06:38 pm at 6:38 pm |

tmv31

Here we go again..them GOP town hall meetings bringing out the wackos!!

May 7, 2012 06:39 pm at 6:39 pm |

T'sah from Virginia

►kyle
Sometimes the best leadership is to ignore petty remarks made by people. Romney handled it well.◄

What if a world leader said that about his VP? We don't know how Romney will handle it because he FLIP-FLOPS and LIE too much, Come on Now!!!

"Sometimes the best leadership handles the situation presented at the time it is presented in order to SHOW what a great leader he can be."